[Cover photo credit to Brittany Farhat]

Earlier this year, singer/songwriter Donovan Woods announced his seventh studio album, Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now, due July 12, 2024 via End Times Music. Now he’s released a second single from the record, “Back For The Funeral,” co-written with Lori McKenna and Matt Nathanson.  

The song’s story takes place in a small town, where a group of friends who haven’t seen each other in years return to memorialize a schoolmate after they overdosed on pills.

Woods explains:

There’s so much writing done about being back in your hometown and what it does to you. But there’s the idea that you only go there with bad news—which can be true—and what it does to your feelings about your hometown.

However, the song shows “that even though someone may return to their hometown for unfortunate reasons, reconnecting with old friends is a positive byproduct of the circumstance.”

Through his songwriting, Woods opens up and addresses the complexities of life, and all that he has been going through. He notes that this album serves as “a funeral to the life I was living.”

Co-produced with longtime collaborator James Bunton over much of 2023, the album focuses on “the intricacies of friendships and relationships, looking at the little moments in life, and hopefully, eventually taking joy in them.”

Donovan Woods is currently on tour in the U.S. supporting Drew Holcombe and the Neighbors. He heads to Australia on tour in June, before summer festival dates, and a North American headlining tour in support of his new record.

Tour Dates [TICKETS]:

05/09 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore ^

05/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theater ^

05/12 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern ^

05/18 – Nashville, TN @ The Ryman ^

06/13 – Perth, AU @ Milk Bar

06/14 – Adelaide, AU @ Jive

06/15 – Melbourne AU @ Northcote Social Club

06/16 – Melbourne, AU @ Sooki Lounge

06/20 – Maitland, AU @ The Stag

06/21 – Sydney, AU @ The Great Club

06/22 – Brisbane, AU @ Black Bear Lodge

07/05-07/07 – Orillia, ON @ Mariposa Folk Festival

07/25 – Burlington, ON @ Royal Botanical Gardens #

08/03 – Ben Eoin, NS @ Live at the Lake Songwriters’ Circle

10/03 – Victoria, BC @ McPherson Playhouse Theatre

10/05 – Vancouver, BC @ The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts

10/06 – Kelowna, BC @ Community Theatre

10/08 – Edmonton, AB @ Winspear

10/09 – Calgary, AB @ Jack Singer Concert Hall

10/11 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre

10/13 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry

10/15 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s

10/16 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark

10/24 – Huntsville, ON @ Algonquin Theatre

10/25 – Peterborough, ON @ Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

10/26 – Ottawa, ON @ National Arts Centre

10/29 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PTB

11/01 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall

11/02 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge

11/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s

11/04 – Washington, DC @ The Atlantic

11/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl

12/04 – Kitchener, ON @ Centre in the Square

12/05 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall

^ w/ Drew Holcomb

# co-headline w/ Hayden